that you are agitating at the
present moment, and one that affects the politics of your great cities.

Take again railroads. It is a question whether the railroad should be in
the hands of the State or of private companies. We are talking about it
every day. Our interest in rapid transit has been very much the same as
yours. Our rapid transit has not only gone over certain unfortunate
persons who stood in the way, but it has gone over ruined hopes and
prostrated energies. There is hardly a question that I see agitated in
American newspapers that, in one form or another, is not agitated with
us. The act of Parliament which restored to England specie payments was
met with exactly the same argument, exactly the same controversy,
exactly the same speciousness as meet you in this country. We have
followed you on the matter of popular education. You have been our
teachers in that branch. We are at present following in your footsteps.
[Applause.]

JULIA WARD HOWE

TRIBUTE TO OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

[Speech of Julia Ward Howe at the breakfast in celebration of the
seventieth birthday of Oliver Wendell Holmes, given by the publishers
of the "Atlantic Monthly," Boston, Mass., December 3, 1879. Mrs. Howe
sat at the right of Mr. Howells, then the editor of the "Atlantic,"
who presided at one end of the tables, with Mr. Emerson on his left.
Dr. Holmes sat on the right of Mr. Houghton, who presided at the other
end of the table, with Mrs. Stowe on his left. Mrs. Howe was called up
by the toast, "The girls we have not left behind us."]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:--One word in courtesy I must say in
replying to so kind a mention as that which is made, not only of me, but
of those of my sex who are so happy as to be present here to-day. I
think, in looking on this scene, of a certain congress which took place
in Paris more than a year ago, and it was called a congress of literary
people, _gens de lettres_. When I heard that this was to take place I
immediately bestirred myself to attend its sittings and went at once to
the headquarters to find how I might do so. I then learned to my great
astonishment that no women were to be included among these _gens de
lettres_, that is, literary people. [Laughter.] Now, we have thought it
a very modest phrase sometimes to plead that, whatever women may not be,
they are people. [Laughter and applause.] And it would seem to-day that
they are recognized as literary people, and I